The Vatican hasn’t seen this much skin since Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. Kim Kardashian, on a tour of the Roman Catholic site, was seen sporting a sheer, lacy Barragán dress with peekaboo cutouts around the hips and pelvis. But don’t worry, she covered up according to the dress code of St. Peter’s Basilica.
But this trend seems to have reach beyond just Kardashian, with other A-listers seen out and about with the same pattern.
Before Kardashian debuted her hips in Rome, model Bella Hadid made her mark in Paris with a pair of I.Am.Gia Carrie pants that framed her hips and naval. The cutouts met in the middle and were strung together by a silver o-ring capped off with a lacy black tank top. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting flashbacks to the low-rise jean trend of the early 2000s.
The earliest debut of this trend was possibly seen in an instagram post from singer Dua Lipa, wearing a Monot gown with cutouts that match the likes of Kardashian’s and Hadid’s looks. The dress ever-so slightly covered up bits that would make this look NSFW, with a diamond-shaped panel covering her midsection and straps that bound around bare skin.
In a new Spring 2021 campaign for Versace, Kendall Jenner joined Dua Lipa and modeled a nautical, jewel-toned bra with a matte black skirt that hung off one end of her hips, tethered slightly by a strap that seemed to hold up the whole garment.
Lest we forget Rihanna’s addition to this trend, as she was seen in a sporty ensemble with long gold chains and a two piece, white skirt-bra combo covered by a green velvet jacket. The skirt was a Maximillian special that showed the same tasteful amount of skin that has become so common in this cultural peekaboo moment.
This trend is seeing itself manifest in the world of drag too. Runner-up from season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Gigi Goode, was seen at the Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 2 in October 2020 wearing an outfit reminiscent of Christina Aguilera’s “Dirty” era with a strappy bikini bottom covered by a white blazer.
Wherever this trend comes from, we love to see it. In a cultural moment that has been increasingly puritan in nature, showing a little skin is a sure-fire way to grab attention and make a mark, and as the weather heats up, a great way to cool off.
